Christina Aguilera returned to one of the most talked-about chapters of her style history at the weekend. At MISTR’s second annual National PrEP Day event in California on 10 October, the singer wore an all-black outfit that drew direct comparisons with her look from the Dirrty period of the early 2000s. The appearance quickly drew attention online, where fans compared it with her early music videos.
The outfit was built around a lace bra and leather mini shorts, layered with a sheer fabric printed with crosses. She added thigh-high leather boots, a smoky eye and a full head of voluminous curls. The combination of leather, lace and wild hair closely echoed the rock-influenced Y2K image she wore during the Stripped era, when bikini tops and towering boots became part of her public identity.
Aguilera has spoken often about why that period mattered to her. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she said expression comes first in her creative process and that she has always been willing to take risks. She explained that she did not want to feel boxed in early in her career, and that once she was given creative freedom on Stripped she wanted to express herself fully. Of the Dirrty video, directed by David LaChapelle, she said: “a little naughty, a little nice, and we had fun with that.”
She has also welcomed the return of the trends she helped popularise. Aguilera told InStyle it is always fun to watch old styles come back in a new era, and said she was once known for statement baby tees and bandanas, which she still wears from time to time. Speaking to Byrdie, she said she was surprised by how many looks had already returned, naming low-rise jeans and crop tops, and described herself as a “message girly” who still loves a slogan T-shirt.
The singer has credited her willingness to experiment for the outfits fans still remember. She has said that trying new things is how people learn and how memorable moments are created. Her appearance at the PrEP Day party, more than two decades after Dirrty first arrived, showed she remains comfortable revisiting that image on her own terms. It also confirmed that the leather-and-lace formula still works for her, even as younger stars borrow from the same Y2K references.
